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Oscar Liu

Cannix Yau

A brief engine fire on a Zurich-bound Cathay Pacific Airways flight was the cause of the Hong Kong flag carrier’s decision to ground its Airbus A350 fleet, with the move snowballing into scrutiny by the aviation industry, the Post has learned.
According to sources and internal documents obtained by the Post on Wednesday, multiple fuel lines in the right engine were deformed, leading to a fuel leakage that caused the brief fire.
An expert said deformed fuel lines posed an engine fire hazard, which would force the engine to shut down, leaving the aircraft to run on just one engine.
But he added that the existing mechanism was sufficient to address the risk caused by an engine fire and the resulting single-engine operation.
Cathay Pacific confirmed the cause of the problem involved multiple engine fuel lines that needed to be replaced but stopped short of elaborating on the exact issue.
A source earlier said that multiple small fuel manifolds surrounding an aircraft engine for fuel delivery were found to exhibit some “form of distortion”, which was behind the fault.
“It was indeed the Zurich flight that triggered the inspection. The crew handled the situation very well as it all happened shortly after departure from the Hong Kong International Airport,” the insider said.
“Jettisoning fuel would be normal, as would shutting down the engine with the issue.”

Shortly after midnight on Monday, the Zurich-bound flight was forced to burn off fuel before making an emergency return landing.
Cathay said the discovery of the fault involving Rolls-Royce’s Trent XWB-97 engine was the first of its kind, while an insider added that inspecting the component was not among any mandated checks stipulated by the manufacturer.
The engine fault prompted Cathay to cancel 90 flights this week after it found 15 A350 aircraft out of its 48-strong fleet had the same issue.
The airline aimed to finish replacing the faulty components by Saturday.
A document obtained by the Post showed the flight crew of the Zurich-bound CX383 were alerted to a right engine fire warning shortly after taking off on Monday, with the warning issued by the electronic centralised aircraft monitor, or ECAM.
ECAM is a system for Airbus aircraft that monitors the engine and relays information directly to the pilots.
The fire was contained after the first of two extinguisher canisters was discharged, an insider said.
As the right engine was out of order, the source said the crew switched off the autothrust system, which sets the speed of the aircraft.
To ensure a safe landing, the aircraft started circling in Hong Kong airspace to burn fuel and reduce the weight of the aircraft by 21 per cent to 237 tonnes, the insider said.




Rolls-Royce said on Tuesday that the investigation in Hong Kong restricted it from commenting on the matter but it was “committed to working closely with the airline, aircraft manufacturer and the relevant authorities to support their efforts”.
“As well as providing support and guidance to Cathay Pacific, Rolls-Royce will also keep other airlines that operate Trent XWB-97 engines fully informed of any relevant developments as appropriate,” it said.
Qatar Airways, Japan Airlines, Singapore Airlines and China’s Civil Aviation Administration were also inspecting their fleets.
Warren Chim Wing-nin, the deputy chairman of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers’ aircraft division, said the documents obtained by the Post showed a direct link between the deformed fuel pipes and the engine fire.
“There are chances that the deformed fuel lines caused a fuel leak, causing fire to the engine. Of course, this is a hazardous condition,” he said.
“The fire warning will lead to a shutdown of the engine in question which will contain the fire. Under safety protocols, when an aircraft is running only on one single engine, the pilot should make an emergency landing at any alternative airport along the flight route.”

Chim said the current safety mechanism could sufficiently handle an engine fire or single-engine operation and had been incorporated into the aircraft’s design.
“Cathay’s fleet-wide inspection and prompt replacement of all the deformed fuel lines without treating it like an individual case has reflected that it attaches primal importance to aviation safety,” he said. “The whole thing has been handled very well.”
Hong Kong Professional Airline Pilots Association chairman Steven Dominique Cheung urged Rolls-Royce to give a public explanation about the parts fault, saying the fire warning showed there was an issue with the engine’s manufacture, design or use of components.
“This is quite scandalous as 15 Cathay aircraft out of its 48-strong A350 fleet have engine fuel lines requiring replacement. The risk is serious because it means that its engine will easily catch fire due to the deformed fuel lines,” he said.
“Even though it is safe to operate on one single engine, the situation is not ideal as the aircraft is crippled. Rolls-Royce should come out to address this safety issue.”
Additional reporting Denise Tsang


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Cathay Pacific

How an engine fire forced Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific to ground its A350 fleet

A Cathay Pacific Airbus A350 is parked outside a hanger at Hong Kong International Airport. Photo: Sam Tsang

The Trent XWB-97 engine was built by UK manufacturer Rolls-Royce. Photo: Handout

An Airbus A350-1000 performs manoeuvres at an air show in Paris. Photo: Reuters

Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific axes 22 more flights over engine problem, bringing total to 90

A Cathay Pacific Airbus A350 parked at Hong Kong International Airport. Photo: Sam Tsang

A Trent XWB-97 engine being assembled. Photo: Rolls-Royce

Singapore Airlines follows Cathay Pacific’s lead, acts on Airbus A350 safety concerns

Technicians check a Singapore Airlines Airbus A350 aircraft at Changi International Airport. Photo: AFP

Call for A350 engine maker Rolls-Royce to explain parts problem after Cathay Pacific flights axed

A Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97, which powers  its Airbus A350-1000 model. Photo: Airbus

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Hong Kong

Transport

Sources and internal documents indicate multiple fuel lines in right engine were deformed, leading to leakage that caused fire.


Hong Kong aviation

Airbus

Hong Kong International Airport

Hong Kong transport